Author: Editor

THE Israeli military has expanded its assaults in the occupied West Bank, killing two women – one of which was eight months pregnant, during a raid in the Palestinian territory’s Nur Shams refugee camp. The troops opened fire on a Palestinian family at the camp, killing Sondos Jamal Muhammad Shalabi and critically injuring her husband, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday. The ministry said medical teams were unable to save the 23-year-old woman’s fetus, because the Israeli military prevented them from transferring the injured couple to a hospital. In a separate statement the ministry said…

THE families of Thai farm workers held hostage in Gaza for over a year wept with joy and hugged their loved ones as they arrived in Bangkok on Sunday. The five Thais smiled as they walked into the arrivals hall at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after being freed on January 30, as part of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Gaza war. The five — Watchara Sriaoun, Pongsak Tanna, Sathian Suwannakham, Surasak Lamnau and Bannawat Saethao — landed in Bangkok at 7:30 am (0030 GMT) on Sunday and were met by a small group of overjoyed relatives and officials from…

LIBYA authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the North African country. The security directorate said in a statement on Sunday that one mass grave found on Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra contained 19 bodies. The remains were taken for autopsy. Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra, said a second mass grave with at least 30 bodies was also found in the city after authorities raided a migrant detention centre. He added that…

THE first president of independent Namibia, Sam Nujoma, has died at the age of 95 in the capital Windhoek, the country’s current leader has announced. Nujoma led the long fight for independence from South Africa in 1990 after helping found Namibia’s liberation movement known as the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) in the 1960s. After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005. Nujoma had been hospitalised over the past three weeks with an illness from which he “could not recover”, Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba said in a statement announcing the death with “utmost sorrow…

NIGERIA’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, will commence their preparations on Sunday at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, ahead of their two-leg FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against South Africa’s U17 girls, known as Bantwana. The 2022 World Cup bronze medallists advanced directly to the second round of the African qualifiers, while Bantwana made a dominant statement by thrashing Gabon 21-2 on aggregate—winning 12-1 away and 9-1 at home. “It is important that the Flamingos start their camping early for this second-round fixture, not just because South Africa won their first-round matches 21-2 on aggregate, but because that…

SEVEN Palestinians freed by Israel on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal have been admitted to hospitals upon arriving in Ramallah, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said. A total of 183 Palestinians were freed by Israel on Saturday in exchange for three captives freed by Hamas. Israel’s prison service said in a statement the prisoners “were transferred from several prisons across the country” before being taken to the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza. More than 100 Palestinians returned to the Gaza Strip. “All the prisoners who were released today are in need of medical care, treatment,…

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Saturday revoked his predecessor Joe Biden’s security clearance in a blizzard of new orders, while escalating his campaign to dismantle the US humanitarian agency charged with helping the world’s poorest and extending American influence around the globe. In a new series of rapid-fire power plays, the 78-year-old billionaire also froze aid to South Africa, where his top donor Elon Musk was born, and named himself head of one of Washington’s premier cultural venues, the Kennedy Center. “There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump said on his Truth Social…

A SUMMIT of African leaders meeting to address the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” within five days. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has rapidly seized swathes of territory in the mineral-rich eastern DRC in an offensive that has left thousands dead and displaced vast numbers. The summit in Tanzania brought together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi as well as leaders from both the East African Community (EAC) and 16-member Southern African Development Community. Kagame appeared in person, while Tshisekedi joined via video call. In…

TRAFFIC congestion affects travel time, productivity, and urban living, but some African cities maintain better traffic flow. Recent data highlights five major cities with the best traffic conditions based on the traffic index and average commute time. Efficient traffic management boosts economic productivity, reduces fuel consumption and emissions, and improves urban air quality. It also enhances mental well-being by minimizing stress from long commutes. Key factors influencing traffic conditions include well-planned road networks, efficient public transport, and controlled vehicle density. In contrast, cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo struggle with severe congestion due to rapid urbanization, inadequate transport infrastructure, and…

HARRY Maguire scored a controversial stoppage-time winner as FA Cup holders Manchester United fought back from a goal down to beat Leicester City and advance to the fifth round. With extra time and potential penalties looming, Bruno Fernandes sent a free-kick into the box and Maguire headed home. The defender appeared to be offside, but with the video assistant referee (VAR) not used at this stage of the competition, it was not picked up by the officials and the goal stood. It was some much-needed joy for Manchester United fans, who had seen their side beaten at home in five…

THE Israeli army has demolished several Palestinian homes in the Jenin refugee camp as it continues the deadly raids across the occupied West Bank that it launched on January 21. Explosions echoed throughout the camp overnight as Israeli forces demolished the civilian homes, Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, reported on Friday. Witnesses said Israeli forces reinforced their presence around the camp and conducted intensive drone surveillance. The army also continues to besiege Jenin Governmental Hospital, having bulldozed the main entrance and the main road leading to it earlier in its raids. Earlier this week, it carried out the demolition…

A JUDGE has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from placing 2,200 workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave, hours before it was due to happen. Judge Carl Nichols issued a “limited” temporary restraining order, in response to a last-minute lawsuit filed by two unions trying to save the agency. The order will remain in place for a week, until 14 February at midnight. Trump has argued that USAID, the overseas aid agency, is not a valuable use of taxpayer money and wants to dismantle it – he plans to put nearly all of the agency’s…

THE conflict between Rwanda-backed forces and the DR Congo is often presented as a struggle to control the valuable minerals that power global electronics. But the focus on “conflict minerals” may obscure other drivers of the violence in one of the world’s most volatile regions. DRC and Rwanda together supply around half the world’s coltan, the metallic ore that is vital in making phones and laptops. United Nations experts, rights groups and analysts say Rwanda smuggles vast amounts of coltan — as well as gold and other metals — out of eastern DRC and sells it as its own. They…

RESIDENTS of Sudan’s capital Khartoum say the army has recaptured large parts of the city from RSF paramilitaries, marking its biggest victory in a year. “Shrapnel and stray ammunition are falling on my neighbourhood,” a doctor we are calling Mustafa tells the BBC. “The clashes these days are heavy”. Key sites recaptured by the army this week include the mint – where money is printed. At the time of writing, the RSF still controls most of Khartoum proper. Whereas the army now holds the majority of territory across the wider tripartite capital – meaning Omdurman, Bahri and Khartoum. But, after…

HOLDERS Liverpool booked their place in the final of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle as they thrashed Tottenham. With a 1-0 deficit to overturn from the first leg of their semi-final, the Reds got the job done at a lively Anfield against a Spurs side who looked devoid of ideas. Liverpool were on top from the start and went ahead on 34 minutes when Yves Bissouma gave the ball away in midfield and Mohamed Salah played a clever cross for Darwin Nunez, who missed his effort before Cody Gakpo drilled in. The visitors, who had held hope of ending a…

THE United States has imposed the first batch of sanctions against Iran since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, as the president pushes to reimpose “maximum pressure” on Tehran. The US Treasury announced the sanctions on Thursday, saying that they are aimed at Iran’s “oil network”. The measures targeted firms, ships and individuals affiliated with companies already sanctioned by the US. Under former President Joe Biden, the US routinely issued such penalties to enforce existing sanctions. “The Iranian regime remains focused on leveraging its oil revenues to fund the development of its nuclear program, to produce its deadly ballistic…

INDIA’s foreign minister threatened a “strong crackdown” on illegal migration on Thursday, a day after a US military airplane flew back 104 migrants as part of President Donald Trump’s overhaul of immigration. Thousands of unregistered migrants have been arrested across the United States since Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Trump’s flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling immigration to the United States is estimated to impact 11 million undocumented migrants. “It is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad,” Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told parliament. Chief of the US Border…

MALAWI’s President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered the military to begin preparing to withdraw from their peacekeeping mission in the volatile eastern Democratic of Congo. The Malawian troops are part of the southern African regional bloc’s military mission (SAMIDRC) deployed to DR Congo to help tackle armed groups. At least 20 peacekeepers, including 14 South Africans and three Malawians, were killed as the M23 rebels captured the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, last week. President Chakwera said on Wednesday that his decision was meant to “honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the parties”, even though…

AN online influencer in Gabon has been detained after broadcasting images shot inside a hospital emergency department plunged into darkness by a long power cut, sources said Thursday. Several activists reported on social media the arrest of Novelas Overmax after his last message in which he described himself as “wanted”. The post appeared on Monday, a day after his video was shared on TikTok. The influencer was “placed in custody” late on Wednesday and taken to the central prison in the capital Libreville, one of his friends Eric Otsetse wrote on Facebook. Authorities have not confirmed or denied the account…

NEWCASTLE United, on Wednesday, secured their place in the EFL Cup final after a commanding 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the semi-final second leg, sealing a 4-0 aggregate win over the Gunners. Goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon ensured Eddie Howe’s side progressed to the final, leaving Arsenal with yet another cup disappointment. The match began with a controversial moment in the seventh minute when VAR intervened, but the score remained level. However, it did not take long for Newcastle to assert dominance. In the 19th minute, Jacob Murphy found the back of the net to put the Magpies…